Swan Lake on Ice (Southampton)

Superlatives are often overused! Stunning, incredible, astonishing and unbelievable – but how else can one describe the truly amazing spectacle that is Swan Lake on Ice.

The sets, six in total, were creatively designed by Eamon D’Arcy one of Australia’s leading scenic designers. The scene is intimately set on a frozen stage with intricate yet subtle lighting transporting the audience through changes of mood and scene. Tony Mercer an inspirational choreographer arrests your imagination instantly with his powerful interpretation of this celebrated love story. Tchaikovsky’s captivating and distinguished music, magically translates the score from ballet to ice performance seamlessly.

The dazzling costumes further enhance the lavishly polished performances, which are skated with outrageous physical athleticism. The softer sequences are sensitively beguiling within the flow of contemporary artistry at its best.

The astonishing compendium of ice dance skills on show would make any Olympic ice dance finalist justly proud. Such was the sublime performance of ice dance technique throughout; before the final curtain, the incredible almost appeared to be commonplace and ordinary. Nothing could be further from the truth. The standard was so high that any member of the cast, it would seem, could have played the lead roles. The most amazing fact to remember was that this was all performed on an ice surface less than 15 metres square.

This is an ice extravaganza in its truest form – not to be missed.